Are You a Morning Person?

At Talentedly, we love the science behind everything. So it is only natural that we wanted to dig deeper into the science of this month's theme: inspiration.

Contrary to conventional wisdom, working at your best may be over-rated, at least if you are seeking an innovative idea or creative solution to a problem. A study conducted by Mareike Wieth and Rose Zacks back in 2011 explored the relationship between creative problem solving and an individual's circadian rhythm (the natural cycle of your body that determines whether you are a morning or evening person). The research duo found that you don't have to be at your best to solve complex problems, specifically insight problems, which are defined as problems that require you to shift your perspective and view the problem in a novel way in order to find a solution. In fact, the results suggest that innovative and creative problem solving is best left to when you are not at your best.

The Challenge

1. Find out whether you are a morning or evening person by taking the Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire. This should take you 5-10 minutes to complete.

2. Once you have determined your optimal and sub-optimal states, grab your calendar and start scheduling. Over the next couple of weeks, plan meetings and work sessions to leverage your states: during your optimal state focus on analytic problems and tasks that require a high-degree of attention and focus. Your sub-optimal period should be set aside to tackle insight problems or tasks that require you to "think differently".

So, are you a morning person or are you an evening person? Start using your new-found knowledge to find inspiring solutions at work and at home.